Tied
by Zeltra
Summary: The story of Disney's Tangled... with a Fire Emblem: Awakening twist spun into it! Chrobin, Lucigo. Rated T for FE:A limited amount of cussing... Ooh. Scary.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: THANK THE PEOPLE AT THE CHROBINPROMPTS TUMBLR PAGE FOR THIS AMAZING IDEA!**

 **Tangled AU, you'll understand quickly.**

 **Enjoy!**

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Tied

Chapter 1

This… is the story of how I, Inigo Montoy, died.

But don't get me wrong, this is actually a very fun story, and the truth is, it isn't even mine, really. This is the story about a girl… named Lucina.

And it starts with the moon.

Once upon a time, a single drop of moonlight fell from the heavens. From this beautiful drop of light grew an even more beautiful, magical, blue flower. It had the power to heal the sick and injured when in the right hands. If someone righteous, or those blessed by the divine dragon, Naga, were to use its abilities, the world would be blessed each time the power was used.

On the contrary, if someone wicked, or those condemned by the fell dragon, Grima, were to use its powers, each time it was used, the world was plunged into more and more chaos and disorder.

The first man to find it was named Validar. He was a Grimleal, one of Grima's descendants and followers. He was very skilled in magic and the dark arts. He quickly found a way to use the flower's capabilities…

Hidden in the words of two songs. One for each usage of the flower.

Of course, this Grimleal only had the end of the world to look forward to.

 _Flower, gleam and glow_

 _Drop this pure façade_

 _Bring back almighty power_

 _Bring back the fallen god_

 _Put in sacrifice_

 _Keep fate on its trod_

 _Save what has been lost_

 _Bring back the fallen god_

 _The fallen god…_

Okay, yes, old creepy guy singing to a plant to bring death and destruction. Odd, right?

Well, centuries passed, and near the island the flower was on, grew a magnificent kingdom. This kingdom, Ylisse, was ruled by the beloved King-Exalt Chrom and his wife, Robin.

Well, Robin was about to have a child. But she became ill.

Really ill.

All of the kingdom had heard of this flower, but none had found it. Validar, that snake, had kept it hidden for hundreds of years, making himself younger to survive until the fell dragon returned. His magic barrier made the flower invisible to all but him.

A search party was sent to the island as Validar was beginning to renew his youth once more. He heard voices and ran.

Without putting his spell back up.

The calming, blue light called to the Ylissean soldiers. They rooted the plant and carefully delivered the whole thing to the castle.

It took the Queen no time at all to recover.

The King, however, did not take all of it so lightly. He was destroyed at the fact he almost lost his wife and their unborn child. At the time of birth, however, his nightmares were gladly dismissed, and you could finally see him smile again.

A beautiful, healthy baby girl was born. Her hair was that of the bluest of moons, a deep shade of cerulean. Her left eye held a small symbol - the Brand of the Exalt - that was passed down through most of the Ylissean royal family, appearing somewhere on their skin or bodies. Oh, and that little princess?

That's Lucina.

To celebrate her birth, the kingdom sent a flying lantern into the sky, the shade of the moon when lit. It was Branded like the newborn's eye and her father right shoulder.

And for that one moment, everything was perfect.

But moments like that cannot last a lifetime.

In the dead of night, a shadow of a figure snuck into the castle. Those eerie notes were sung next to the crib of the princess, as her hair started to glow.

 _Flower, gleam and glow_

 _Drop this pure façade_

The figure tried to cut off a lock of the child's hair to keep it as his own. But as the scissors cut, that lock of hair stopped glowing. The small amount of hair left turned white from tip to root. The figure's skin shriveled at touching the cut, white hair.

At that, the little princess began to cry.

Her parents both rose from sleep, but it was too late.

Their precious daughter and the queen's malevolent father had vanished.

Validar hid the child in a tower and raised her himself, telling her lies of how her parents had forsaken her, trusting her with her grandfather. Lies about the outside world being a dangerous place, full of hatred and evil. Under this influence, the child was obedient. Her hair grew at an astounding rate, reaching her feet by the time she was four. All but the cut white piece, that is, which never grew at all.

The kingdom searched and searched, but they could not find the princess or any leads to her. The King-Exalt and Queen were devastated. They sent their finest men, but they came back with less than they left with.

And with every night little Lucina sang her special tune to her grandfather, the closer doom came for everyone in Ylisse.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Okay, not as many people as I thought responding… Good thing the notices I did get were all positive, though.**

 **Chapters in this will be a lot shorter than my usual writings. Don't know why. Probably because it's a Disney format, and the perspectives are always changing.**

 **ON WITH THIS ISH!**

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Tied

Chapter 2

"Greil! C'mon!"

My left hand held onto the side of the spire as my eyes drank in the sight in front of me. The entirely of Ylisstol was beneath me feet. I could see out to the forests of Lunar Island and everything in them.

 _Is that a tiny valley…? I think I see a waterfall leading into it…_

"Griel!"

"Vincent, Victor," my hand left the spire and met the other to cross over my chest. "Guys, I want a castle."

Heavy footsteps came up from behind me. "You do this job," Victor's deep, scratched voice seethed, "you can buy your own castle."

His calloused fingers wrapped around the back of my collar and ripped me back, cutting off air flow for a fraction of a second. He dragged me to the hole they had made in the roof of the huge castle.

"Stealing the crown of the missing princess of Ylisse. You two have hit a new low," I said, tying a rope around my waist.

When I looked up from tying, both twins were glaring at me.

"Well, don't you two look glum? Learn to take a joke!" I said, a smirk trying, and failing, to resurface.

"Get down there, Griel," Vincent pointed to the hole.

I quickly looked down. It was pretty long drop. There were twelve guards lined up around the steps to the crown, none of them actually looking directly at the treasure. The twins would lower me down, I would grab the crown, and then they would pull me back up. We'd sell the crown, and spilt the money between the three of us.

…

Ha. "Split the money." I crack myself up sometimes…

The twins grabbed the rope as I slowly climbed down. They lowered the rope until I was hovering just above the pedestal with the crown.

And then one of the guards sneezed.

 _No, don't say it, don't-_

"Ah. Hay fever?" I caught myself saying cheekily. My fingers wove around the solid gold crown, cold to the touch.

A sharp pain in my abdomen spread throughout my body as Victor and Vincent pulled me up at lightning speed. The shock almost made me lose my grip on the crown, but nothing could pry something that precious from my cold, dead fingers. As I ascended, I heard a "Yeah" from the sneezing guard, who looked back to see…

No crown.

The guards crowded around the pedestal, looking up to see my boot hanging from the hole as I rushed out.

 _Another win for Ike Griel._

XXXXXXX

"Gentlemen, this is shaping up to be a very good day for us! So much accomplished and it's not even 8 in the morning!"

We were sprinting across the bridge to Lunar Island. The distant sound of horses kept us going. We reached the forest, taking every sharp dip and turn we could. I had the crown stuffed inside a leather satchel that was slung around my shoulder. The bag whipped in the wind as I ran, but I made sure not to get it caught on anything to make it rip so we'd lose the crown.

I skidded to a stop when I reached a steep wall.

 _I can't climb that!_

The twins caught up to me, huffing and bending over for air.

 _Those two! That's it!_

"Okay," I turned to them. Their heads both turned up with worn looks. "Give me a boost, and I'll pull you up."

They both stood up at full height. They were both much bigger and taller than me.

"Give us the satchel first," Vincent held out a giant hand to me.

"What?" a feigned look of hurt appeared on my face. "After all that we've been through, you still don't trust me?"

Neither showed any emotion other than hatred.

"Okay. I get it." I slung the satchel over my head and plopped it into Vincent's open and waiting hand. He attached it to his belt.

 _Oh, pray, friend, make it harder for me._

"Please, Darling," Victor kneeled for Vincent to get on his shoulders. His brother complied easily, climbing up to stand on him.

 _Gods, what is wrong with these two?_

I climbed up behind them, and faked falling for an excuse to kick Victor in the face. I slipped past Vincent and pulled myself onto the ledge.

Once I got grounded, Vincent held his hand out to me. "Now help us up, pretty boy."

"Oh, now, I would…" I replied.

"But my hands are full."

At that, the satchel materialized in my fingers, and hurriedly I whipped around and sprinted off. I heard a distressed and furious "GRIEEEL!" from behind me. A smirk crept onto my face.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: LOVING THE FEEDBACK, PEOPLE! JUST WISH THERE WAS MORE OF IT!**

 **That's all. Thank you. Enjoy. Please review. It means more than you could ever know.**

XXXXXXX

Tied

Chapter 3

Blue.

It's what she woke up to in the morning.

It's what she lived through every day of her life.

It's what she went to sleep to at night.

It was the color of the clear sky on a perfect day.

It was the color of her favorite dress.

It was the color of her crystalline eyes.

It was, oddly enough, the color of her hair.

She opened her eyes, blinking to get used to the early morning light. Once accustomed, she sat up, shrinking right back down to her make-shift pillow at a stretching pain on her scalp.

She looked at her right hand, finding a bundle of cerulean hair trapped under the palm. She lifted the hand, and checked around her vicinity to see if any more body parts might be in danger of hurting her head. When all was okay, she swiveled her legs to fall off the edge of her bed. Hurriedly pulling a few stray hairs in front of her left eye, she stood up.

 _One more day,_ she thought. _One more day until they show up again._

A light smile crept onto her face at the thought. Almost 18 now, the thought of the special, indirect present she got every birthday made her feel giddy with excitement.

A small croak-like noise came from her left. She looked to find her old friend resting on her nightstand.

Nagrom. Her pet chameleon.

Her grandfather had brought Nagrom to her when she turned 14, saying he was special beyond belief. To her, it seemed that Nagrom knew who she was, as if he was actually human. Nagrom also had a rather human-like character and attitude. He seemed to understand human speech perfectly fine, and for her, she could understand what he was trying to "say" as well. He would make gestures in response to her questions and comments. It was less of her having a pet, really, and more that she had one friend in her lonely world.

But's it's to be expected that she only had one friend.

She lived in a remote tower.

Her chores every morning were the same. Sweep, dust, polish, sharpen the weapons, wax the floors, do her laundry, mop, repeat. So quickly, in fact, it took her about fifteen or twenty minutes to finish all of them thoroughly.

Next, she would usually practice swordplay. Her grandfather had many stuffed dummies and targets for her to hit, and he had repeatedly said that she was very advanced. She usually ended up breaking something during practice, though. Her grandfather always said he didn't know where her klutziness came from, because he was so careful and cautious. She tried to be careful, and she was with her blade, but something always ended up crashing by the end of her practice.

Reading. She loved to read. She only had three books – one of recipes, on of fairy tales and legends, and one of battle histories and strategies.

On the walls of the tower, wherever she could reach, there were huge, intricate paintings of wars, battles, and some of her favorite legends. She had maps of the halidom, scenery that she saw from her window, and a couple self-portraits. But every one of her paintings was connected.

She just… didn't know how.

After a little reading and painting break, she needed to brush her hair.

Oh, Gods. Her hair.

It was past her back, past her hips, past her knees, past her feet, and longer than anyone could ever have the patience to measure. It trailed behind her as she did her chores. She used it to rope herself up to higher places to reach more spots to paint. Brushing her hair was the longest of all her chores. It was ridiculous.

Through all of her hobbies and chores, the same thoughts always ran through her mind.

 _Is this all I'm ever going to amount to?_ She wondered. _When will this sorry excuse for a life of mine begin?_

But she always looked forward to her birthday. A usually clear midsummer night, the air warm and crisp as she hung beside her window. Every year, something amazing, something _magical_ would happen.

Blue.

Blue lights would float into the sky, at first a few, then millions float high into the night sky to illuminate all the stars can't get to.

And she couldn't help but feel like… somehow…

Those lights were meant for _her_.

But that was ridiculous, right? Ylisse is huge, anything could be going on to make the kingdom celebrate… every year… _on her birthday…_

Little slaps on the tile told her that she had a shadow. She turned to see Nagrom slowly padding up to the window where she was. The little blue-and-white lizard looked up at her, eyes pleading for her to pick him up.

She did as asked, and placed him on the window sill.

"You want to play a game, Nagrom?" she asked.

The chameleon shook his head furiously.

"Well, what do you want to do?"

His eyes lit up. He turned to the outside world and pointed to it with his white-tipped tail. A look of disappointment slid across her pretty features.

"We can't, and you know that."

If chameleons could glare, Nagrom was. He turned back to the view of the outside world. Her eyes never left her little friend, curious at what he might do next.

Then he froze.

Her eyes followed the lizard's stone gaze. Out toward the path her grandfather took to leave the tower's hiding place, there was a dark shape hurrying to the tower.

But it wasn't her grandfather.

It was someone she had never seen before.

 _They've come for me!_ She thought immediately. _They've come to get my hair and sell it!_

She ran back into the house to grab her favorite sword. Simple, small, but she loved it all the same.

And she waited.

Hiding behind one of the curtains, she waited. Nagrom was across the room from her, signaling her as the unknown got closer to the tower.

Then, she heard a _thunk._

Then another one.

Then another.

Progressively, all of the thunks got louder and louder, closer and closer.

 _They're climbing the side of the tower?!_

The person reached the top and swung their legs through the window.

Their back turned to her, she saw spiked grey hair and a light blue vest. The person was armed, with a sheathed sword on their hip. They slipped the leather strap of a bag on their shoulder over their head.

"I don't know why there's a tower in the middle of nowhere," the unknown spoke smoothly. She had never heard a voice besides her own and her grandfather's. The voice was soft, deep, and interesting to listen to. "But at least we're alone now."

 _We?!_

They brought the bag up their face and flipped it open to look at the contents.

 _Now!_

Quietly, she padded over to the stranger…

And…

"HA!"

She brought the hilt of her sword down on the stranger's head.

They buckled and collapsed.

She stood there, staring for was seemed to be forever.

Then, Lucina ran away.


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: I GAVE YOU GUYS MORE THAN A MONTH.**

 **NO FEEDBACK WHATSOEVER WAS RECEIVED.**

 **Sorry. But really, you guys' compliments, comments, and criticism drives me to keep writing.**

 **My save file for this chapter got glitched out, so I lost it and had to start over. That's my excuse; that, and not having the aforementioned drive to write.**

 **Anyway, here it is. Chapter 4!**

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Tied

Chapter 4

"Is… Is he unconscious?"

Lucina peered out from behind the doorframe and looked to the small lizard in the middle of the floor. Nagrom looked back to her and nodded his head. She crept out, sword at length, and stepped towards the fallen stranger. Nagrom was looking at him carefully, circling like a vulture.

"Didn't… Grandfather say men were dangerous? That all they would ever want from me is my hair?" She inquired curiously.

Nagrom slumped his tiny shoulders, closing his eyes. He shook his head slightly. He looked back up at the bluenette and then back at the man. He padded over to the man's hand, to his worn-out leather satchel. He bit onto it and tried to pry it from the man's fingers, to no avail.

Lucina stepped over her little friend and knelt down onto the floor. Nagrom backed away as she reached for the strap in the unknown's calloused hand. She snatched it away quickly and held it close to her chest. Lucina quickly glanced down to Nagrom, whose eyes were wide, as if to tell her to "Open it! Open it!"

"Are you insane?!" she whispered harshly. "There could be something dangerous in here!"

Nagrom's eyes slit in annoyance. Then they widened again, saying, "But maybe there won't be! Maybe it'll be something interesting and cool!"

Lucina bit the inside of her lip. She pulled the oval button through the loop that was closing the flap of the bag. Slowly, she lifted the ragged piece of leather to reveal the bag's contents.

A crumpled piece of rough parchment.

And a gold…

Something.

She grabbed the golden object and lifted it from the back. It was beautiful, whatever it was, with brown engravings of leaves and vines carved into it.

She looked to Nagrom, holding it up to show him.

His eyes bugged out so far she thought they would pop out of his head. His tiny jaw dropped so far she thought it might be dragging for the rest of the day. His little breaths became short and shallow.

Suddenly, Nagrom turned heel and ran over to her mirror – a simple thing that flipped over to show another painting on the wooden backing. He was jumping straight up in the air, eyes still huge and widened.

She stood up, careful not to step on any of her hair or on the stranger, and walked over to the mirror. She looked at her reflection – the same one she saw every day – and then looked back down to the object in her hands.

 _What does it do?_

She slid it around her neck and tried to keep it still. It wouldn't stay on.

 _Not a necklace._

She looked at the small crescent shape cut out of the top of it. She stuck her right eye in the crevice, closing her left eye to focus. It didn't seem to do anything.

 _Not a seeing tool of sorts._

She looked down to Nagrom. He was sitting back on his hind legs, using his front feet to "point" to the top of his head.

Lucina looked back to the mirror and turned the object around. She slid the golden shape over her head, behind her ears, to rest there. It protruded from her hair, the slight flow backwards of her locks making it look even more elegant. Her mouth stretched agape at her own reflection.

She looked… like _royalty._

A groan from the opposite side of the room distracted her from her fantasy. The stranger was trying, and failing, to prop themselves on their arm. She stuffed the golden band back in the satchel and threw it into a nearby, empty pot. She ran to the stranger's side, standing right above them.

The unknown managed to get to their elbows. Head still wobbling, they blinked to try and steady themselves. Once they had a bit of better focus, they saw Lucina looming above them.

"Am… Am I with Naga?" the person slurred.

"You will be soon if you don't tell me what you're doing here," she threatened, her sword suddenly materializing so that the tip was pointed at their neck. The person, obviously a _man,_ closed his eyes swallowed as a smirk slid across his features.

And he _laughed._

"I would," his voice was suddenly much smoother, "if I even knew what I was doing here, lovely."

"Do you want to be knocked out again?" she seethed, not believing the audacity of this stranger. _He_ was at a huge disadvantage. _He_ should be the one that was scared.

"I'd rather not be, honestly. My head hurts enough, but thank you for asking." His head bobbed from side to side, his brown eyes not connecting with her azure ones.

A slight "tch" escaped her lips. A squeaking noise came from the sill that the man climbed through. Lucina looked up to see Nagrom jumping up and down, his tail pointed downward. Lucina glared once more at the strange man, as a silent "Don't move". His eyebrows and hands shot up defensively. Lucina took it and ran to the window.

 _Grandfather!_

She turned around, mind blank on what to do. She looked to the man, starting to sit upright, and offered a hand. He cricked an eyebrow, but accepted her help nonetheless. His hands were rough and strong, and a lot larger than her own. She lifted him up until he got planted firmly.

 _Woah._

She had to look up to see his eyes anymore. He, however, was seemingly unfazed by everything that was happening, and smirking down at her.

Lucina shook her head furiously, her lips stretching into a thin, determined line. "Go upstairs-" she pointed to her bedroom, "-and hide in the light blue closet. There's nothing in it. Stay there until I come and get you."

The man glanced up and found the doorway she spoke of. He stepped back a few steps and bowed. "Whatever the lady asks." With that, he turned and sprinted into her bedroom.

She huffed out a breath she didn't know she was holding.

 _Oh, the gods hate me._

She rushed to her training room and put her sword back on its rung. Once she had put it back, she heard a distant yell.

"Lucina! Let down your hair!"

She bolted back to the window to find her grandfather looking upwards at her. From there, he looked so small, but in reality, he was about a foot taller than her.

Lucina looped her hair through a hook on the opposite side of the sill and lowered it down until it got to her grandfather. He stepped into it, wrapping his foot inside it and waiting there. With that, she pulled, carefully. She lifted him up until she saw his face through the sill. He slid through smoothly, as he always did.

"Hello, my dear, sweet Lucina," he soothed as he wrapped his long arms around her.

Lucina responded with a slightly distracted, "Hello, Grandfather."

"How have you been faring, my flower?" he cooed.

"Well enough, I suppose," she said, glancing to her bedroom.

"You suppose?" he asked sharply. "Aren't you sure of yourself, Lucina?"

"Oh!" She snapped back to reality. "O-Of course! Um… Yes. I've been fine, Grandfather."

"That's better. Do you think… a little _song_ will help clear your head?" he suggested smoothly.

"Yes, Grandfather!"

At that, she rushed to grab a chair and set it in the middle of the floor, then got a small wooden stool for herself. Finally, she grabbed a hairbrush and handed it to her grandfather, who had already sat down in his chair. She slid her hands down the side of her neck to collect some hair, and handed a bundle to him, which he sat on his lap. She exhaled deeply, closing her eyes and concentrating. When she opened her mouth, everything around her seemed to blur.

 _Flower, gleam and glow_

 _Drop this pure façade_

 _Bring back almighty power_

 _Bring back the fallen god_

 _Put in sacrifice_

 _Keep fate on its trod_

 _Save what has been lost_

 _Bring back the fallen god_

 _The fallen god…_

As the glow in her hair faded by the end, Lucina opened her eyes and looked at her grandfather. His eyes were now bigger, and there was less wrinkles on his features. He looked at her with a sideways sort of smile.

"Now, flower, is that better?" he soothed.

"Yes, Grancfather," she replied falsely. She put the chair, stool, and hairbrush away. Her grandfather was heading towards the kitchen. Lucina took a deep breath and called out for him. "Grandfather, wait!"

He stopped in his tracks and slowly turned around. "Yes, love?"

"Um…" Noticing her mistake, Lucina straightened up and looked him straight in the eye. "Do you… know what tomorrow is?"

"Tomorrow? It's Friday," he answered confused. "Why?"

"It's… a rather special Friday…" she hinted.

"Hm… I don't remember anything special about it."

"Grandfather, it's my birthday," she told flat-out.

His brow creased as humor entered his eyes. "That's impossible. I can distinctly remember: your birthday was last year, flower."

"Grandfather," she deflated a bit, "birthdays are an annual happening."

"You're right, of course, you brilliant girl," he stepped over to her and ran a hand over her hair. "Do you want any special presents?"

"Um… Yes… About that…" She walked away and slung her hair on a rafter to pull herself up. She landed on a small platform in front of a wall with a curtain over it.

"What is it, dear?" he inquired.

"I…" She straightened up, seeing her meekness. "I want to see the floating lights!"

"The… floating... light?" her grandfather wondered. Then his face molded into one of understanding. "Oh, you must mean the stars, yes?"

"No, that's it, actually," she said and she grabbed the tail-end of her hair. She whipped it upwards and caught it on a lever. When pulled, the lever showed a chart of the sun, moon, and stars as seen from her tower. "I've charted stars, and they're always constant. They're always there. And they're not _blue_. These blue ones only appear on my birthday, grandfather. And…" she slowed down, "I can't help but feel…" She pulled back the curtain to show a beautiful, yet simplistic, painting of her, sitting atop a tall tree, watching bright blue dots float across the night sky. "I can't help but feel like… like they were meant for _me._ "

Unbeknownst to her, her grandfather's eyes flared with anger before cooling down again. Nagrom was across the room, looking warmly and knowingly at her.

Her grandfather cleared his throat. "So… what I _believe_ I'm hearing… is that you want to _leave_ the tower to see these _stars_ up close?"

"Yes!" she exclaimed before noticing her outbreak. She composed herself again and corrected herself with a quiet "Yes, Grandfather. Though, they're not stars."

"You want to _leave_ , you ungrateful child?!" he yelled. "I've done so much for you! And I've _told_ you many times about what the outside world would do to someone as beautiful and powerful as you! And you still want to _defy_ me?!" His eyes glared red with rage as he screamed. "Enough with the lights, Lucina! _You_ _are not leaving this tower. Ever!"_

She blinked away the screams, to no avail. Her eyes were caught and wouldn't look away from him. As he breathed heavily, he realized what he had done. He fell into a chair and put a hand to his forehead. "Thank you, lovely. You've now made _me_ the bad guy."

Slowly, she climbed down from the pedestal. She stayed next to her mirror, on the opposite side of the room.

"Grandfather?" she tested.

" _Yes?_ " he asked irritably.

"If that's… not an option… Can I still ask for something?"

"Depends," he growled. "Do you wish to see Grima himself now?"

"No," she whispered. "Maybe… new paint? The paint from the Outrealms you once brought me?"

"That's a _very_ long trip, Lucina!" he looked back up her, brows furrowed. "Almost three days' time! And those merchant sisters don't sell it for cheap!"

"I know, but that might be a better idea than the…" she looked down at her bare feet, "stars."

Her grandfather closed his eyes and sighed. He stood up and walked over to her. A large hand ran over her soft, blue hair. "Are you sure you'll be fine on your own?"

"Yes, Grandfather. And I know you've done more for me than I could ever repay." Her heart sank as she realized she'd have to watch the lights from her window for another year.

"Good." He kissed the top of her head. "I love you very much, Lucina."

"I love you more," she said, raising her eyes to meet his steady gaze.

"I love you most. I'll be back in three days' time."

With that, he gathered a long cloak and a small bag full of food. She lowered him down out of the window. She watched as he went through the cave entrance to the valley the tower was in. Once he was out of sight, she let out a loud breath.

 _Now… To get back to the stranger in my closet._


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: I love this story too much…**

 **I'm actually kinda proud of this one. And I don't really like much of what I make. But this is sooo much fun for me!**

 **Anyway, it's back to Inigo's/"Ike's" POV again. So… here ya go. PLEASE.** _ **PLEASE REVIEW!**_

 **(Btw, the word "tangled" is actually in this chapter. Just so you know.)**

XXXXXXX

Tied

Chapter 5

 _Wow. Nice going, Ike. You've made it all the way to a girl's closet._

The closet she stuck me in was pretty roomy. There was nothing in it, as she had said. To add, it was pretty tall, too. I could have stood completely upright in it if I would have wanted to. Instead, I slumped down into one of the corners and rested my head on the wall of it.

From where I was, the only thing I heard was my breathing bouncing off the wooden inside of the empty closet.

Until that wasn't all that was there.

I felt my breath catch in my throat. I dared not breathe, as it would drown out the beautiful sound.

That girl… The girl who I woke up to with a small rapier pointed at my neck… The girl with the Exalt-blue hair that stretched who knows how long…

The girl was _singing._

I closed my eyes to lose myself more easily, not that it wasn't easy to begin with. It was beautiful, almost like a lullaby. I tried to listen for some words, but all I could make out were the notes.

Even without the words, it was still mesmerizing.

Suddenly, the notes stopped. I let my breath out heavily, gasping for air. My throat felt stretched, but it was worth it, in my opinion. To hear the gorgeous voice from the equally gorgeous girl.

 _Woah… Where'd the whole "gorgeous girl" thing some from?_

I guess it was to be expected; people always had said I was a flirt. It usually ended in me getting slapped, or something similar.

But this girl?

Not even 30 seconds of actually getting to see her, and I already think she's gorgeous?

Maybe it was the hair. Blue – navy blue, that is – isn't exactly common. Only the King-Exalt had blue hair like that. Him, and as told, his two missing children. Sure, you'll find some lighter, pale blues, but not the navy blue seemingly reserved for that family. And, while not dwelling on it, the length was _ridiculous_. _How did that even happen?_ It twisted around me and along the floor more than once. Even heading into her room to hide, I looked back and saw a mess of hair that had somehow not gotten tangled while crossing over itself.

A few more minutes of silence followed. I strained my ears to see if I could hear anything else. What I did hear almost scared me half to death. A menacing-sounding, scratchy voice in an ear-splitting scream echoed through the rooms of stone.

" _You are not leaving this tower. Ever!_ "

My throat caught as I tried to breathe. _No wonder that girl didn't know how to respond to my sudden appearance. She's never even_ seen _anyone else before._

I felt my heart reach out for the stranger. I never liked seeing anyone unhappy, much less a lovely maiden such as her. People always looked nicer with smiles on their faces.

But I had yet to see the girl smile.

 _I wonder if she smiles at all with this kind of life._

"Are you in there?" a voice called, after much silence.

I almost jumped out of my skin at the sudden coo. Her voice was wavering. She was obviously scared of me. That fear usually didn't last long, though. "Yes, lovely. I haven't moved, just like you asked," I answered as smoothly as possible.

I heard a _fwip_ outside the door of the closet.

Light seeped through the opened door of the wooden closet. A smirk slid onto my face when I saw the girl, rapier still in one of her hands, standing at a distance from the closet. In her other hand was a length of her blue hair. She whipped the handful, making her locks ripple until they let go of the door handle and fell the floor. I felt one of my palms subconsciously run up to fluff the back of my hair.

She tried to stand up straighter, more regal or sophisticated. "Follow me." Her eyes, or at least the one that I could see – the other was covered by hair and had been since I first saw her – were slit angrily.

I swing my legs around and laid them on the stone floor, sitting in the doorway of the closet and propping myself up on one elbow. "Where are we going?"

"I need to show you something," she stated simply, her stern expression ever the same. She turned slightly on her heel and started for the door. I stood up – a few things popping for sitting crumpled in the closet for too long – and followed suit.

 _What could she possibly…?_

I jumped away from her trail of hair, trying not to step on it. I watched my feet as I walked, and stopped when I saw her bare heels hiding underneath the high hem of her dress. I looked up to see her looking at me over her right shoulder. She pushed the door open and held it there.

"Go on," she said flatly, pointed her rapier down the stairs.

I watched her as I walked past. She straightened further, trying to make herself appear taller.

 _Cute._

I turned back to the stairs and began to descend down them. I looked around, finally getting a good look at the tower and its contents. I held back a gasp of amazement when my eyes met the walls.

 _Those paintings… Did she make them?_

All around were beautiful portraits portraying the girl in different situations and outfits, battles, and…

 _The Legends?!_

Marth, the first King-Exalt of Ylisse, leading his armies with his closest friends – even his wife, Caeda – behind him. Sigurd, Seliph, Wolt, Innes, Lyndis, Leif, Roy, Ephraim, Eliwood. I counted all of the heroes and villains painted intricately on the walls. I stopped when I came to a picture of two men with navy hair and the same red sash tied around their foreheads, their twin capes billowing out. One was shorter, with limited armor seen on an old mercenary. The other was much taller and stronger. Older. Both had looks of war on their faces. Both held a golden blade at length. Ragnell. Behind them and next to them were their companions: a stoic mage, an eccentric myrmidon, a strong red-headed knight, a trio of brothers with green hair, a little brunette with a healing staff, a woman with light green hair riding a Pegasus, and an array of enemies and other allies behind them.

 _Ike._

"Ahem."

I realized where I was standing as she cleared her throat to get my attention. I was standing in the middle of the floor, spinning to look at all the paintings. I whipped around to look at where the voice came from. She was standing on a ledge in front of a curtain.

"Now… Who are you, and how did you find this place?"

I brushed the piece of hair that had fallen into my eyes over. "I have no idea how I got here. I was running, came across a tower, and climbed it. That's all."

She narrowed her eyes again. "Who are you, then?"

A smirk fell across my features before I could stop it's coming.

"The name's Ike Greil."


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: I AM SORRY. I am legitimately sorry for all of this wait-time. Hooooooly crap.  
Anyway, I don't think you guys want to wait any longer, so… Here we go!**

XXXXXXX

Tied

Chapter 6

"Liar."

I felt my eyes widen at the immediate reaction. I mean, being called a liar was nothing new, but I had barely seen three minutes of this girl.

Which also wasn't uncommon.

"What do you mean?" I asked, shifting my weight to one side.

"You're not Ike. You can't be," she said with an unchanging expression. She straightened her posture and pointed her rapier to the decorated wall without looking.

" _That's_ Ike."

I glanced back at the intricate painting. I had no similarities to the hero on a physical level. And of course there are the glaring differences in character from a thief to a radiant savior of legend. I looked back to the girl, who had lowered her arm and was now accompanied by a small, blue lizard at her feet.

"Call it a sort of honorary," I slid. Her one exposed eye squinted ever the more.

"… So, what are you doing here? What do you want with me?" she inquired, grip tightening on her rapier's hilt.

"I told you already. I didn't know there was anyone here. I just needed a place to…" The realization hit like a ton of bricks. My heart sped as I reached up to my shoulder for a strap that wasn't there. " _Oh no._ Where is my satchel?! What did you do with it?!"

"I hid it from you. Something that beautiful doesn't deserve to be in your hands," she seethed instantly.

 _Ow._

"Look, I came across your tower by accident and climbed it. I thought it was uninhibited. Now give me back that satchel." I felt my features tense as I used a more serious tone that I would have liked to. This girl was good.

But apparently, easily distracted.

"Then you… You're not here for my hair?" she asked, suddenly confused about… something.

"Why would I want your hair? I have no use for it."

She paused, eyes darting away for a split second. He bit her mouth closed and returned to her glaring. "Never mind that." She looked at the ground, thinking of something or looking at the small creature by her bare feet, I couldn't tell.

"How much do you value the contents of that bag?" she ordered, straightening up once again.

"Very much so, thank you," I replied dryly.

 _Not the time, not the time!_

She bit the inside of her lip before opening it again. "Then would you be willing to do me a little favor to get it back?"

"Sorry, Miss-" I began, before she interrupted with a curt " _Lucina_ ". Clearing my throat, I began again. "Sorry, but I don't do favors."

"I thought you said you valued that satchel," she reminded me bitterly.

My eyes drooped. "… What do you want?"

Her features seemed to light up a tiny bit at my question. She walked past me, leaving the lizard where he was standing. The animal had an oddly human expression of suspicion on his little blue face. I frowned right back, furrowing my brow at it. I heard the girl – Lucina? – climbing on some items behind me. Turning, I saw her on an elevated ledge with a curtain against the wall. She pulled back the fabric to show a beautifully simple painting of a girl, her, on a tree, with the night sky lit by blue orbs floating across it.

"Do you know what these are?" she inquired, pointing at one of the blue specks.

"Well, I'm guessing you'd be referring to the lantern thing they do every summer for the princess of Ylisse." Not yellow, not stars. Lucina mumbled something to herself that went unheard of me. She shook her head and looked to me, still pointing to the art.

"Well, tomorrow evening, the night sky will be lit with these _lanterns_ , as you call them." She lifted the sword in her left hand to point in my direction. "You will take me to see them, acting as a guide, and return me here unharmed. Then, _and only then_ , will you get your precious satchel back. That is my request."

I raised my hands, lowering my head. "Yeah, sorry buttercup, but I can't do that for you. The kingdom and I don't exactly agree on many things at the moment, so I won't be taking anyone anywhere but myself."

Her gaze bore into me, feeding off of the irrational fear that came from it. She leapt from the pedestal, rapier brandished and balanced on her opposite wrist, aimed at my chest.

With a flick of my wrist, my old, steel sword came unsheathed and blocked her thin blade. As she bounced back, trying to keep her grip on the rapier, her little lizard materialized on her shoulder and jumped towards me. It spread out its legs on impact, attaching itself to my face. I dropped my sword at the contact, out of surprise or disgust, I couldn't tell. With my free hand, I ripped the creature from my forehead and cheeks, holding it out in front of me.

"Rude. I don't have a frog to help me," I said, trying to hand the animal – who was not happy about being called a frog – back to the angry girl.

The lizard hopped into her hands, where she held the rapier by a fingertip around the hilt. Her other hand scratched the top of its head whispering "Nice shot, Nagrom". She looked back up to me, proud expression on her face. "He's a chameleon. And if you don't agree, you won't get your satchel and I'll sick Nagrom on you again."

I felt the corners of my mouth sink to the floor. "I'd rather not have that happen."

"So take me to see the lanterns."

 _How are you so good at this?_

"… Fine. I'll take you, but don't think I'm scared of your frog. I'm doing this for my satchel, and that's it," I complied, pointing a finger at the angry chameleon.

"Great," she stood up taller, a gentle, pleasant, yet painfully smug smile on her face. "I'm glad you say it my way." She spun on her heel and walked away, leaving me in the middle of the floor, wondering how I was bested by a girl who didn't even know what the difference between stars and lanterns was.


End file.
